American Family Insurance has teamed with multicultural agency Elite Media and ESPN Creative Works to create a series of commercials that are airing during the ESPN documentary series, The Captain, which delves into the life of Derek Jeter, the Hall of Fame shortstop for the New York Yankees. Jeter has been a brand ambassador for American Family Insurance since 2016. And now American Family Insurance is an associate sponsor of The Captain.
The American Family commercials depict Jeter traveling back in time to thank many of the important people in his life who helped him achieve his baseball dreams. The campaign is called “Grati2ude” and, as Jeter remarks at the end of each film, “With the right support, any dream is possible.”
Kicking off the series of films is this one titled “Early Years” which acknowledges the early positive influences in Jeter’s life ranging from his parents to a baseball coach to outfielder Dave Winfield, whom Jeter as a kid idolized.
The American Family campaign is custom content that authentically complements the documentary–with footage that feels like a flashback, as Jeter celebrates those who helped him along the way.
The spots were directed by the Jams x Bash duo (consisting of Jamaal Parham and Bashan Aquart) via production company Art Class.
CreditsClient American Family Insurance Agency Elite Media Christopher Crawford, chief creative officer; Jindai Joseph, creative leads; Mo Alsadi, art director; Jackie Crockwell, project coordinator; JD Williams, executive producer; Steve Centrillo, engagement director. Production Company Art Class Jams x Bash (Jamaal Parham and Bashan Aquart), directors; Rebecca Niles, EP/managing director, live action; Sparkle Jones, head of production; Hannah Grigereit, production coordinator; Michael Montenegro, line producer; Corwin Carroll, managing director; Sean Owolo, exec producer; Brian Keegan, head of postproduction; Tyrone Rhabb, sr. editor; Savannah Cannistraro, post producer; Matthew Steidl, on set supervisor; Josh Guillaume, VFX supervisor; Peter Timberlake, lead compositor; Johannes Saam, deepfake VFX. Color Rare Medium Mikey Rossiter, colorist. Audio Julian Bickford, sound engineer; Joel Porras, assistant editor. Additional Production ESPN Creative Works Jamie Overkamp, creative director; Kim Salatino, Ira Fritz, associate creative directors; Kyle Wright, sr. director agency production; Karen Frank, producer; Jeremy Anderson, postproduction content producer; Colin Ryan, sr. manager client activation; Carrie Brzezinski Hsu, VP, ESPN Creative Studio; Anthony Nelson, VP agency production; Jay Marrotte, VP creative development & ad integration
NHS England, M&C Saatchi UK, Director Tom Tagholm Team On PSA Highlighting The Overlooked Signs Of A Stroke
National Health Service (NHS) England has unveiled a multichannel campaign, “Act FAST,” to raise awareness of the individual signs of a stroke and get people to call 999 as soon as they suspect they may be experiencing any one symptom. The push, which is part of the ongoing “Help Us, Help You” campaign, was developed in partnership with M&C Saatchi UK.
The campaign depicts everyday situations where everything might seem relatively normal, but where there’s the sign of someone experiencing a stroke.
A key component of the campaign is this :30--directed by Tom Tagholm of Various Films--which sets up the idea that initially, a stroke might not seem like much, highlighting key symptoms: from struggling to use a paint roller, to not being able to smile when watching TV, to slurring your speech when reading a story to your grandchild. The PSA emphasizes that time is critical, ending with the line: “Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”
Jo Bacon, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi UK, said, “We want to ensure people take action on the first symptom, rather than waiting for more conclusive signs. To help them understand that even when everything seems normal, something serious might be happening.”
Matt Lee, executive creative director, M&C Saatchi UK, commented: “This is important work. We wanted to explore that precise moment when your world shifts, quietly yet powerfully, off its axis during a stroke. We highlight how a tiny external moment can actually be seismic—an extraordinary gear change, framed in a really ordinary way.”
Director Tagholm shared, “My Dad suffered a stroke a few years ago and was saved from the worst by acting quickly, and by the work of the NHS. So there’s... Read More